


Golden Hour

by Spriingflower



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Bang Chan is Whipped, M/M, Minho is just very pretty, chan is a photography student I guess, no explicit romance, the other mentioned character's just tag a long as friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:47:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27461419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spriingflower/pseuds/Spriingflower
Summary: "What's the worst he could do, say no?"Or, Chan's friends pressured him into asking his crush to model for his photography project and now they are taking a trip to the beach together.
Relationships: Bang Chan/Lee Minho | Lee Know
Kudos: 96
Collections: STRAY KIDS MV FICFEST





	Golden Hour

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [SKZ MV FICFEST](https://twitter.com/skzmvfest); Inspired by [Stray Kids' Blueprint MV](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYJDf9oPQ-0).

_Just aks him, what's the worst he can do? Say no?_

Chan replays those words in his head as he squishes himself in between two of his closest friends on the backseat of a third friend's bright red truck. The only car between the group of friends big enough to transport five people and a raggedy old couch in the boot. Changbin, the one owning the car, is sitting in the driver's seat, his music turned down far lower than usual – normally he would be blasting it, not caring that no one else in the car can even hear their own thoughts over it – and on the passenger seat next to him is Lee Minho. The guy who Chan just asked to help with a project. Because the worst he could do is say no. Turns out that Minho saying yes is actually so far worse. Because Chan had anticipated him saying no. Had made plans for how exactly he would tell the rest of his friend group about it. Knowing he would get some sympathetic looks and maybe a pat on the shoulder together with a _well at least you tried_ but he didn't prepare for Lee Minho, a dance major who he has never really talked to, to just say sure and then give him his number.

Okay, maybe it's time for a little bit of a recap now. So, Chan mayors in cultural theory with photography as his elective on one of the most stereotypical liberal arts campuses one could imagine. There are people walking barefoot the entire year, impromptu performance by theatre kids gone wild and too many cutesy coffee shops offering several different kinds of vegan bagels. It's heaven, basically. At least to Chan it is. The only place where he's ever truly felt able to express himself creatively and be accepted by those surrounding him. Not just accepted, supported. Collaborations between students are heavily encouraged, even if they are in different majors. For example, the theatre and the music majors will often collaborate on performances, film and art majors will produce animated short films for their final project. And of course, whenever a photography major needs a model pretty much everyone is open to help a friend out.

That is how Chan met Felix, the guy currently to his right, actually. He was drawn in by his freckles. Liked how the looked and make his face stand out from the crowd. And he liked them even more in the black and white portrait photography that Felix allowed him to take after Chan stopped him in the middle of a hallway without ever talking to him prior to that. And through Felix, he also met everyone else currently in the car with him. Changbin, who is Felix's roommate who's studying composition and music theory, Jisung, the guy currently to Chan's left, also a music major and Lee Minho, who does dance and performance, just like Felix. Also, he just might be the most gorgeous man Chan has ever laid eyes on. Except for the occasional dorm party, Chan has never really talked to Minho for the very obvious reason that just looking at him is enough to send Chan into a gay panic. But that all changed when the beginning of this semester rolled around.

With every new semester comes a bunch of more or less interesting theoretical seminars, lectures on politics and culture or media analysis. But there are also projects which in Chan's case is a course with just barely ten people in it, all of them tasked with creating at least five pieces for a small exhibition under the theme of loneliness. Completely open to interpretation and transformative takes on the subject. Enough of a direction to not overwhelm but at the same time also enough creative freedom to allow for unique projects. And Chan has done it all, the concept, the taking notes on what several philosophers have said, the reading on colour theory and symbolism. And then he made the big mistake of mentioning to his friends how he would kinda like to have Minho be a model for the project. It was a slip of the tongue really. But of course, Chan's friends did not let it go. Which goes back full circle to the sentence that has been haunting Chan since.

_What's the worst he can do?_

Of course, after Minho agreed, there was no way for Chan to just get out of the whole ordeal. By the time Minho had agreed for a photoshoot, a chain reaction started that lead exactly to the five of them being crammed in this car right now. Because Chan needed some equipment and also props for the set that he would not be able to fit into his own car. So, of course, Changbin offered. And of course, Jisung and Felix offered to tag along because they could help with the lights and stuff – not that either of them knows anything about that. So here they are. It's still early, they picked up Minho just an hour after dawn to be able to finish the two hours drive to the beach in time to finish setting everything up with as much daylight left to be used as possible.

When they get there it's around eleven. Jisung and Felix open the doors on their respective sides of the backseat almost the same second that Changbin stops the engine, he hasn't even pulled the handbrake yet but they are already out of the car, running down the small dune of sand and to the line where the ocean meets the beach. They checked the tides in advance to make sure that the beach wouldn't be flooded when they got here, right now the water is slowly coming back just now but even at the highest tide it won't flood the entire beach area.

Jisung and Felix have already reached the water and started splashing it into each other's faces. Chan sighs before he crawls out of the door that Felix left open. And since it's on the right he's immediately met with Minho who's letting his gaze wander over the beach. He looks gorgeous. Dressed in all white just like Chan asked him, some simple jewellery, which wasn't necessarily a part of Chan's vision but looks just wonderful on Minho. And then there is his dark hair, the perfect contrast to the light colours. The sharp edges of his jaw and shoulders blending with the soft layers of the flowy shirt he is wearing. He's beautiful. But it's not just the way he looks, not the way he'd dressed. It's the way he carries himself. Graceful but with confidence, never forceful but still a presence that can't be ignored.

„You look good“, Chan says. He's not quite sure why he does, another slip of the tongue possibly and he already regrets it the moment Minho turns around, one eyebrow slightly raised. But then the boy breaks into a wide smile.

„Thanks. I hope my outfit is okay? You just told me to dress white but I wasn't sure about the style of clothes so I kinda threw together all the white things I could find.“

„It's just perfect“, Chan assures. Minho looks like he's about to say something else but Changbin hollering at Jisung and Felix cuts him off.

„Hey, are you two helping or not?“, he screams across the beach loud enough to slightly make Chan's ears ring. But apparently not loud enough to actually reach the other two guys playing around in the water. Or maybe they hear it but just don't care. Changbin sighs.

„I'll go get them, I'll be damned I we have to carry all of that stuff down their ourselves“, he mutters. Before Chan could even think about replying anything Changbin had already begun stomping off to drag back the other two. Chan and Minho exchange a brief look, there is a sudden awkward tension in the air.

„Uh, should we start unloading or anything?“, Minho asks. Chan takes a small look at the back of the car even though he knows exactly what's in there. Mostly the normal stuff one would use to set up a shoot like this, most of it not necessarily heavy but hard to carry by yourself because of the size or shape of it. And then there is some equipment that should be handled with special care because it's actually the property of the university.

„I really can't ask you to help with carrying all that stuff, I mean that's what I brought my friends for. Asking you to sacrifice a whole day for this was already a lot“, Chan answers finally. Of course, he could ask Minho to help with setting everything up, but he would feel totally guilty about it later. And also he's afraid of what that might possibly entail. The sheer possibility of Minho rolling up his sleeves and squatting down to help pick up and carry that darn couch is already too much for Chan's poor brain to process. He shouldn't have brought the darn couch in the first place. But he wanted it for that idea he had and now it's already here and his friends would hate him for saying that it can stay in the car after all now that it already took four of them to get it in there.

„You sure? I really don't mind helping out. I mean, there isn't much else I can do right now, I guess“, Minho says. Chan looks around looking for some kind of distraction and he's lucky to find it in the form of Changbin arriving with Jisung and Felix towing after him like children that got scolded by their mother.

„Just let these guys take care of it. You could go scout for a nice open space to take pictures while we unload everything here.“

It takes them roughly another hour before the actual photoshoot can actually start. First, they had to find a good place to set everything up, then they had to actually carry all of their stuff there and then prepare the set. Just trying to set up the tripod in the sand already proofed to be enough of a challenge. Once everything was done Chan started by taking a few random pictures to check his settings. It's always important to adjust for light and scenery. There is only so much you can fix in editing later. Sure, if the pictures aren't properly lit you can touch them up, but nothing beats a picture that has been taken with the proper settings in the first place.

Once Chan is satisfied with what he sees on the camera screen the actual thing they all came here for can finally start.

At first, Chan was worried about being distracted with Minho in front of the camera the whole time but he quickly discovers that looking at Minho through the lense of his camera is actually a lot easier. Because with the camera between them he is allowed to freely look at Minho the way he wants. He can take him in completely, pay attention to every little detail, every move he makes, every poses he strikes. He can direct Minho how he wants, ask him to move, ask him to pose for him. And when Chan tells Minho that his posture is elegant or that the way the light hits him makes him look gorgeous it's not weird, it's just him being a very enthusiastic photographer.

The way the shoot is set up also makes it easy for Chan. His whole concept more or less revolves around Minho looking everywhere but into the camera. There's a set of pictures of him wearing a dark blue blindfold covering his eyes, arms stretched out like he is sleepwalking or trying to feel his way through the dark, bare feet leaving prints in the sand behind him as he heads straight for the ocean. Another set shows Minho gazing into the distance almost longingly, the sun hitting him from behind, his shadow stretched out in front of him. And then there is the couch. Maybe it was worth it getting that raggedy old thing all the way here after all.

At first, Chan asked Minho to sit on one side of it, feet placed on the couch, arms wrapped around his knees, looking straight ahead as if there was another invisible person sitting across from him. But then they started switching positions, with Minho himself offering ideas that Chan never could have come up with. It ended with Minho in the middle of the couch, occupying all that space there by himself even though there would be enough for three people at least, hands placed gently on the empty cushions beside him. Chan even tried taking some pictures from behind, just to experiment with the angles a little.

In total, they probably shoot for around two hours, even though it feels like a lot less to Chan and probably like a lot more two his friends and helpers. But even after they are done and everything, including their old couch, is back in the car they stick around. They draw matches to pick two people who have to make the trip to the next grocery store to grab some snacks and drinks for everyone – it lands on Felix and Changbin – while the remaining three set up a nice picnic blanket. Jisung tries to challenge Chan to a sandcastle competition and after Chan refuses he tries the same with Minho who agrees immediately. Chan watches as the two gather shells and twigs and other material to decorate their castles. He even takes out his phone to snap a few pictures. Chan is not the biggest fan of smartphone photography usually but with pictures that he will keep for himself or that will only be shared with his friends it doesn't really matter. Also, it gives him a chance to watch Minho again, with another camera lense between them. This time Minho is looking at him though, Throwing up peace signs, smiling for the camera and proudly pointing at his castle that looks more like a roughly square-shaped heap of sand with a trench around it and a bunch of shells piled on top. Jisung's isn't any better though. When the other two arrive back from their shopping trip with way too many snacks for five people to eat Jisung makes them vote on which castle is the better and he sulkily destroys his own after losing.

They stay until the sun begins to set. It's a beautiful sight. By now the water has gained back most of the shore so they climbed further up onto a small rock formation to watch this beautiful spectacle. Usually, Chan thinks that there are already way too many pictures of sunsets but right now even he feels compelled to take out his phone and snap a few more. Some things just remain utterly beautiful, no matter how many times you look at them.

„This is what you call the golden hour, right?“, Minho asks, suddenly stepping up from behind Chan to join him. The sun is low in the sky but not yet sinking, colouring the sky the most vibrant red. The light is gorgeous. Chan slightly turns his head to find Minho basking in the golden glow. It takes his breath away so much that the only answer he can muster is a soft hum. Minho smiles at him for a second before he turns back to look at the looming sunrise. Then he turns back to Chan once again.

„Do you want some more pictures in this light?“

The question hits Chan completely unexpected. Not just because they wrapped up hours ago and most of the equipment is already back in the car but also because of the way that Minho is posing the question. It doesn't sound like he's offering some additional shots that might end up in the project. He's asking Chan the way one would ask a friend to take a picture of you while you are out on a trip.

„Sure“, Chan finally replies. He could use his phone again, but somehow that would not feel quite right. So he takes the camera that's still hanging around his neck, adjusts the settings slightly and then points it at Minho.

„Do you want me to do anything special?“, he asks. Chan closely watches the way his perfect lips move as he speaks, then he shakes his head.

„Just let me get some nice pictures of you in that light. Do what you'd normally do when someone takes your picture.“

Minho nods. His eyes are pointed at the camera now, but it feels like he's actually looking through it. At the person behind it. He's smiling softly and Chan almost forgets that he still needs to press the button.

After he has taken a couple of pictures he lowers the camera again. But Minho is still there, smiling at him. Now that there is nothing in between for Chan to hide behind he has no other option than to awkwardly smile back.

„Thanks for today“, he says. There is much more that he means to say but he hopes that somehow his words can carry all that to Minho without him having to articulate it.

„It was my pleasure“, Minho chuckles. „Actually I feel like I should be thanking you. I had a lot of fun today. We should do something like this again.“

Chan lets out an awkward laugh. „Well, the next time I get assigned a project I'll be sure to ask you.“ He's not sure if there actually will ever be another project like this again. And even if there was Chan probably wouldn't have the guts to ask Minho a second time. But his reply catches him off guard for the second time.

„No, I meant do this again even if there is no project. You know, just hang out for fun. Maybe take some pictures together. Go somewhere. Watch the sunset. Just... do something like today again.“

That perfect golden light is still hitting Minho's face at just the right angle, his skin seems to be glowing. Just like the sunset itself, Minho remains utterly beautiful, no matter how much time Chan spends staring at him. And no matter how many pictures he takes, he still wants more. Wants to see him again. Look at him even more. Spend time like this. Be able to look into Minho's eyes like right now, with no camera separating them. All it would take is a little bit of bravery.

„Sure, I'd like that“, Chan says.


End file.
